Game apparatus with a pair of board members and playing pieces

ABSTRACT

A game apparatus has two separable, substantially identical board members with each board member being divided into spaces and with each space having two places to hold playing pieces. Each board includes magnets at two opposite sides whereby the boards are connectable end-to-end and abut one another to form a single playing surface. Also, the boards are adapted to be superimposed on one another for compactness and ease of storage. The back of each board is recessed so that a storage pocket is formed when the boards are superimposed back-to-back.

Elite States Patent 1191 a Price 1 1 Nov. 12, 1974 1 GAME APPARATUS WITH A PAIR OF 3,633,913 1/1972 Solimenc 273/132 BOARD MEMBERS AND PLAYING PIECES 3,729,198 4/1973 Shaffer 273/134 AC [76] Inventor: George D. Price, Rt. 2, Tilberry Rd., FORElGN P E TS OR APPLICATIONS Powell, Tenn. 37849 1,049,571 11/1966 Great Britain 273/137 AE [22] Filed: June 12, 1973 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe l l PP 369,246 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mason, Mason & Albright [52] U.S. Cl ..273/131 AD, 273/131 BA, [57] ABSTRACT 273/131 A game apparatus has two separable, substantially l t C A A A65, identical board members with each board member 132 134 being divided into spaces and with each space having 273 3 two places to hold playing pieces. Each board includes magnets at two opposite sides whereby the boards are [56] R fer n d connectable end-to-end and abut one another to form e e ces I e a single playing surface. Also, the boards are adapted UNITED STATES PATENTS to be superimposed on one another for compactness 511,306 12/1893 Moore 273/136 GB X and ease of storage. The back of each board is rel,2 5.878 3/1 9 gg 273/l3l B cessed so that a storage pocket isformed when the 3 boards are superimposed back-to-back.

3,604,709 9/1971 Svetz 273/134 AD 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures o n o o Y RlEa o a o o o 5 u u o o o c5a D 0 O 0 O O Q o o o n 0 '5a a o o a o o/ 5b 6i 1: 0, o a l o or'oa' o l o o o o o 055 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to apparatus for a game which includes a playing surface having means for receiving playing pieces thereon. More particularly, the apparatus permits each of the players initially to position his playing pieces on a board member without the knowledge thereof of the opponent, after which the board members which include the playing surfaces are joined and the game proceeds on the connected board members. Each-board member includes magnets at each end which provides that they can be either joined end to end for play or super-imposed for storage of the playing pieces, and at the same time allows the players to disfor commencement of each game.

These and otheradvantages of the invention will be appreciated asthe description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG..1 is a plan view showing the entire playing surface of the board members;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one board member, showing its playing spaces;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the board members assembled for storage; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a playing token member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The game apparatus comprises two substantiallyidentical board members 1 which are preferably rectangular in configuration with rectangular playing spaces 3 as shown. Each playing space 3 has a forward hole 5a and a lower or base hole 5b. The board members can be made of wood and/or plastic or other suitable material and are preferably hollow to afford storage for the tokens 7 when not in use. The shorter sides 11 of each board member 1 preferably have a magnet 13 embedded therein, so that when the apparatus is assembled to form a continuous game playing surface 15 (FIG. 1) the shorter, joining sides 11 of the boards are I pose their pieces without the knowledge of the other a boardmember 1 can be of any desired size and shape, but should have at least one side that can be joined to a like side of the other board. Also, it is essential that the boards be separable'from one another as will be explained hereinafter.

The game of knights can be played by each player holding a board member 1 out of his opponent's sight and placing the tokens 7 in any of the holes 5a and/or 5b of that board. There can be thirty-six tokens 7, eighteen per player, and the tokens of one player are of different color than those of his opponent. As seen in the drawings, there are thirty playing spaces 3 and each space'has a forward hole 5a and a base hole 5b. Only one token 7 isinitially placed in each space 3 and once a forward or base hole is selected, the token must remain or be moved to a like hole; i.e., tokens in forward holes 5a can only be moved one space (unless a jump occurs) each turn and only to another forward hole 5a.

At the beginning of the game of knights, each player places all of his tokens 7 on his respective board member 1 in secret, the boards being separated. Following the placement of the tokens 7, the board members 1 are juxtaposed and thus magnetically connected along adjacent edges 11 (called joining edges) as seen in FIG. 3, and the game begins when the first player moves a token one space in either direction.

The object of the game is to end the game with as many tokens 7 remaining as possible. One token 7 can be moved toany adjacent space 3, forward, backward, or sideways, during each turn. As mentioned above, a token in a forward hole 5a can only be moved to a forward hole 5a of an adjacent space 3. If a token 7 of the opponent occupies the other hole (inthis case 5b) then that token is eliminated. The hole 5a or 5b, as the case may be, that a token 7 is moved to must be unoccupied.

- Adversary tokens are eliminated when the unoccupied hole 5a or 5b is moved into by the opponents token.

The player that has the most tokens 7 in the first row of spaces3 can be first to move and playing continues until all the tokens of one player are eliminated or'no moves are possible. Once all of tokens 7 of one player are eliminated, then that player is the loser. If a token 7 succeeds in moving in a space 3 occupied by an oppojuxtaposed in an end-to-end position, as shown, and A held together during play.

Board members 1 are adapted to be stored simply by superimposing one over the other to arrange magnets 13 disposed in opposite polarity adjacent one another so that the assembly is easily stored (FIG. 3). In a pocket-sized version, the boards can have dimensions of three-by-five inches with thicknesses of about 1% inch. Tokens 7 are received in hollow areas 12 of say two-by-four inches and one quarter inch deep'formed in and between board members 1 when in the position shown in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated, however, that nents token to eliminate the latter, then the victorious token 7 has completed a jump and in the same turn can be moved to a further space 3, again in any direction.

The game is also completed when all .of the tokens are in the same corresponding holesSa or 5b so that I more jumps are not possible. The winner in such a case is the player with the larger number of tokens 7 remaining on the playing surface l5.'

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

, l. A game apparatus comprising a pair of substantially identical board members, each said board member being rectangular in configuration with two of its sides longer than the other two of its sides, each of said board members being separable and including a joining side which is adapted to be juxtaposed to a corresponding side of the other board member to form a complete playing board assembly, each of said board members having a surface which is divided into a plurality of playing spaces and each space having spaced apart holding means to receive playing tokens, the playing spaces of said board members being positioned adjacent one another to form the entire playing surface of the apparatus when said joining sides are juxtaposed, said joining sides being shorter sides and each including a magnet for retaining the joined sides in juxtaposed position and the playing spaces in a single continuous playing surface, the other shorter side of each board member including a magnet whereby said board members are adapted to be superimposed and joined together for storage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spaced apart holding means are in the form of holes.

3. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 1, comprising playing tokens separable from said board members, each said board member including a recess portion, which portions, when said board members are connected in a superimposed position, together form a hollow space for storage of said playing tokens.

4. A game apparatus comprising a pair of board members of rectangular configuration having substantially identical dimensions and each including a joining side and a magnetic member mounted in said joining side whereby said board members are adapted to be juxtaposed at their joining sides and magnetically con nected in said position to form a planar board assembly with the playing surface thereof in a single plane on said connected board members, a further magnetic member included in each board member on a side opposite said joining side whereby said board members are adapted to be superimposed and magnetically connected by said magnetic members in such position for storage.

5. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 4, which includes game pieces and wherein at least one of said board members includes a recess portion in a surface opposite said playing surface whereby when said board members are connected in a superimposed position, a hollow space is formed for storage of said game pieces. I

6. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including game pieces and wherein each said board member includes a recess portion opposite its playing surface, said recess portions being joined when said board members are connected in a superimposed position to form a hollow space for storage of said game pieces. 

1. A game apparatus comprising a pair of substantially identical board members, each said board member being rectangular in configuration with two of its sides longer than the other two of its sides, each of said board members being separable and including a joining side which is adapted to be juxtaposed to a corresponding side of the other board member to form a complete playing board assembly, each of said board members having a surface which is divided into a plurality of playing spaces and each space having spaced apart holding means to receive playing tokens, the playing spaces of said board members being positioned adjacent one another to form the entire playing surface of the apparatus when said joining sides are juxtaposed, said joining sides being shorter sides and each including a magnet for retaining the joined sides in juxtaposed position and the playing spaces in a single continuous playing surface, the other shorter side of each board member including a magnet whereby said board members are adapted to be superimposed and joined together for storage.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spaced apart holding means are in the form of holes.
 3. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 1, comprising playing tokens separable from said board members, each said board member including a recess portion, which portions, when said board members are connected in a superimposed position, together form a hollow space for storage of said playing tokens.
 4. A game apparatus comprising a pair of board members of rectangular configuration having substantially identical dimensions and each including a joining side and a magnetic member mounted in said joining side whereby said board members are adapted to be juxtaposed at their joining sides and magnetically connected in said position to form a planar board assembly with the playing surface thereof in a single plane on said connected board members, a further magnetic member included in each board member on a side opposite said joining side whereby said board members are adapted to be superimposed and magnetically connected by said magnetic members in such position for storage.
 5. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 4, which includes game pieces and wherein at least one of said board members includes a recess portion in a surface opposite said playing surface whereby when said board members are connected in a superimposed position, a hollow space is formed for storage of said game pieces.
 6. A game apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including game pieces and wherein each said board member includes a recess portion opposite its playing surface, said recess portions being joined when said board members are connected in a superimposed position to form a hollow space for storage of said game pieces. 